The following are notes taken during play from our Deadlands Noir campaign. They’re from the last two sessions. My character, James, a reporter, is aided by Jenny, Jessica, Jacques and Junior as he discovers there’s more going on in Great Depression-era New Orleans that he knew. At this point, he and his friends are aiding Pierre Deveraux, a “music vampire” in a fight against the Red Sect, a group of voodoo practitioners with great influence and dark goals in New Orleans.
17th January, 2013
Lt Townsend is holding a press conference at 11 am about the resolution of the bank robbery. There was also reports of a big gang shoot-out on the docks (no bodies, but blood)… yes, my friends’ work.
Jacques went to the Golden Palace and tried to discover about the arrests/killings in the bank robbery. One of his friends told him that Mr Lombardi (owner of the Palace, and father of one of those killed) is in an office with his compatriots. He also was approached by Anton Dermot, who attended the “game” with the Red Sect. He wanted to know what the hell happened! “Who were those black men? They seemed to be part of a gang!” “The Red Sect”, said Jacques. “I’ve heard of them. Should I be worried? Will they come after me?” “Oh, you should probably lie low for a few weeks!” “And if they come after me?” “Running sounds good.” “What about Jabber?” “Where’s Jabber now” “Don’t know, doesn’t hang around here – too expensive for him. He’ll be at the camps or Rampart street with the hookers there – the brothel he likes is called the Slave Pen.” He planned to lie low for a bit.
Jenny went off to the Yellow Sign bookstore to find out about the Red Sect. She discovered that the Red Sect is “very bad news”. They arrived in New Orleans before the Civil War, and Baron Simone LaCroix was active in the Great Rail Wars and used a lot of his power and influence in the city; the Red Sect were directly reporting to him. They practise a very black version of Voodoo and religion. They have been waging a war for some years against the Italian Mafia for control of the underworld in New Orleans.
Most powerful in the lower districts of New Orleans, like Rampart St. There are both White and Black Voodoo practitioners, who don’t get along.
To learn more about Voodoo, go to Mama Zuzu’s Jumbo Gumbo Emporium!
At the Press Conference, several policemen and Lt Townsend are on the podium as is Myron Ashcroft the bank manager (left hand wrapped in bandages). “The MPD has had another successful operation. The suspects of the bank trunk heist have been apprehended; we learned that the ringleader – Bruno Lombardi – and several of his compatriots were hiding out at a holiday destination named Catfish Lodge on the lake. Last night myself and about a dozen officers undertook to apprehend Mr Lombardi. During the ensuing shoot-out, all of his men were gunned down and Mr Lombardi fled on foot. We conducted a search of the area and discovered him hiding in a pile of firewood at which points he refused to surrender; he was shot whilst brandishing a weapon. None of the police were hurt.”
“Mr Lombardi’s father was not involved; Bruno masterminded it himself. No evidence of any other mob involvement.”
Ashcroft apparently had an accident with scissors. He thanked the NOPD for their good work. No money has yet been recovered.
“What remains of the Catfish Lodge has been searched. During the altercation an oil lamp was knocked over and it burnt down. The owners will probably be compensated by the cities, as will any of the other lodgers. Or their families – they may be some died in the fire, which burnt down about 50% of the complex.”
The criminals were armed and became aware of the approaching police presence possibly by seeing someone out the window. Antonio Russo and a few nameless mooks. (Russo was at dogfights).
According to Patrick Trent, it seems that the story is basically true. The police were approaching the cabin when one of the policemen accidentally alerted the criminals. The criminals began firing from their upper-storey window. One of the criminals was hit and the policemen stormed the lodge. When the culprits tried to escape, there was a fierce firefight in the main area of the lodge (mainly firing blindly at each other). An oil-lamp was hit, the place went up in smoke; Bruno ran out as his compatriots were shot. At some point later on, once they begun searching the area, Trent heard shots and was told that Bruno had been killed. Bruno may have been captured first and questioned – why was he killed? Myron was invited along and was very pally and joking around with Lt Townsend. Stayed out of the raid, but when Bruno was sought, he and Townsend were together; was uninjured before, but was wounded after Bruno’s body was brought back.
The police don’t get involved with the Red Sect, who normally prey on their own, so as long as they remain in the black district the police don’t care.
About mid-day, there was a pounding on the back door of Pierre’s house. The girls heard raised voices, “Where’s the bitch?” Heavy feet stomped up the stairs. “Where is she?” a slurred voice asked. The door opened, and Melvyn Graham (former bodyguard, shot by Peggy) was there. Junior wanted to know what he was doing out of hospital. He was really drunk and angry at Peggy. Junior tried to talk him down.
Jenny went to visit Mamma Zuzu’s. She can contact people who practise “good” voodoo, but will cost money in Rampart St.
We visited the Morgue where Jacques saw that all the other bodies were shot or burnt. Bruno’s body is different – he was shot twice quite neatly in the heart. It looks like he has a substantial amount of bruising on his abdomen and rib area, and looks like he was punched in the face a few times as well.
We found Jabber in the “Slave Pit”, a brothel. It is owned by Calamine Trudeau. We were followed by a black men – and a whole lot of black men then stormed the brothel as we slipped out. We were chased – the car window got shot out – and a man jumped in and shot Jabber. I got away from them, and Jacques blasted the man who jumped in. At an abandoned warehouse, we healed Jabber and he decided to get out of town for a few weeks. I got back to the mansion and got drunk.
Raymond Carter, a private investigator, got hired to stake-out Mr Abassi by Jenny and Jessica.
Session 31st January
We went to visit Madame Zuzus. We were assured that this was a place of safety, but the subterfuge was necessary. “Mama told us we needed help.”
Jenny told them that we had only just become aware of how crazy the world was. They told us of the spirit world, and how its inhabitants could enter ours – most often by being invited by practicioners who follow the dark spirits. “The Petroloa”. “We of the voodoo tradition believe in Almighty God, but in good spirits – the Radaloa”.
The Red Sect have been active in New Orleans for hundreds of years; they were the most powerful criminal organisation until the Mafia came along. Unlike the Mafia, the Red Sect has loosely-connected cells, Bokkor-run, a voodoo priest. They use fear to run the city, and have spies in the voodoo cults.
‘Are they more active?’ asked Jacques; ‘Perhaps’. ‘They have a medicine bottle,’ said Jenny. ‘We’ve alerted the Red Sect to our presence, and they don’t like us very much. They are led by Abassi’
‘Abassi is but a servant, not a Bokkor. We do not know his master, and we wouldn’t tell you in this meeting.’
‘If you need to contact us – go to the Farrington Arms Hotel and leave a message for Mr Argus Bellview – we will get it.’
‘You seem sincere, we will grant you a minor boon.’ Jenny picked up a small bag – it’s a gris-gris, a magic charm. ‘I suspect that the cultists gained imperviousness from something like this; it will give you some resistance to magic.’
‘We will not meet here again – it is too dangerous.’
Jacques went to the gambling hall, which was in a sombre mood, with Bruno being dead and all. He learnt about Bruno’s funeral arrangements.
I went to the Birdsville Jazz Club. Sharps made a big deal of us and we had a relaxing time.
Jenny, Junior and Jessica went to investigate the Professor’s neighbourhood to see if any other infections were present. They didn’t notice anything, but Junior went up to the door. The poor victims have left town after being assaulted by Jenny and Jessica with chilli.
Meanwhile, I spent a day chasing stories that don’t pan out. Apparently the Mayor visited a homeless guy named Ralph and then the mayor turned into a bat and flew away. My editor didn’t like it.
Teresa was very active – eating two steaks, and being very happy. As I kissed her goodnight, I felt a rough patch on her back like scales. I panicked. Pierre told us that there are alligator cults. (Generally they’re crazy hicks). She’s going to Baton Rouge in a few days.
Funeral for Bruno in two days times at the Metarie Cemetary.
Jessica, Jacques and Junior broke into Teresa’s apartment and discovered a locked room with lots of arcane works, books of anatomical drawings of alligators and spellbooks dealing with shape-changers, werewolves and suchlike.
The PI, Mr Carter came back with a report. There’s a $100 reward for anyone who comes back with information about us. He spends a lot of time working as a dockworker, but he and his crew go to a house on the canal when finished – a big, run-down old place, where there are always a lot of Negroes. Also spends a lot of time at the Riverview Blues Bar near his house. Went into the employees section, where he couldn’t be followed. The other place he visited was an old rail shed near the west end of the docks. He and three of his crew headed immediately after his work. It’s near the junction on People’s Avenue. It’s guarded by two black men, both armed. He went inside for 20 minutes and then left.
Jessica wanted to lure the Red Sect to the funeral to turn the war into a hot war, also including the police.
I really want to go to the capital where Teresa was going. And what is up with these alligator cults?
Full moon on Friday. Teresa travels to Baton Rouge on Thursday. The funeral is also on Thursday.
(The group decided to confront Teresa at her office, not telling James about it. She revealed that she was cursed by a tribe to be a werealligator. The others decided to keep it a secret from James.)